


Been Inclined to Believe They Never Would

by nonisland



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: (he does not get one in this fic :( ), Chapter 13: Reunion at Dawn (Fire Emblem), Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd Needs a Hug, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Blue Lions Route, Nonbinary My Unit | Byleth, Other, Pining, Possibly Unrequited Love, Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Student Crush on Teacher, who am i to turn down so apt a tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:42:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24750073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nonisland/pseuds/nonisland
Summary: Dimitri has A Situation.Actually, Dimitri has two situations, and one of them is a tragedy. The one he’s actually willing to acknowledge, though, is the one all of his so-called friends keep laughing at him about.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd & Blue Lions Students, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 6
Kudos: 70





	Been Inclined to Believe They Never Would

**Author's Note:**

  * For [birdginia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/birdginia/gifts).



> Gin asked for “byleth being cute and not realizing how much they're making dimitri wanna die” and all I can say is that I apparently don’t know what “cute” means. Title from “Sweet Caroline,” because it was the first Song About Hands that jumped into my head. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> * * *

Imploring Byleth Eisner— _Professor_ Byleth, Dimitri reminds himself again—to come teach the Blue Lions had been a catastrophic mistake. He can see that now. At the time he’d only been thinking of what an asset they would be to Faerghus; of their incredible skill, their power, their grace…

Well, it hadn’t been the first time he’d been dazzled by someone’s prowess on the battlefield. He had thought, foolishly, that it would pass, or at least that it would be endurable.

Byleth hooks their leg—their long, muscular, very much not-covered leg—around Dimitri’s and knocks his feet out from under him. He goes sprawling on his back at their feet, barely even feeling the impact against the sawdust-softened earth of the training ground as he lands.

“Are you okay?” Byleth asks, looking down at Dimitri with what he thinks might be concern. They’re backlit by the sun, radiant with it. Dimitri has to close his eyes for a moment. “You seem…shaken. I didn’t expect you to land that hard.”

“It has been a day full of the unexpected,” Dimitri says, sitting up carefully.

In the background, where his classmates have been watching him embarrass himself the entire time, Sylvain says, “I’ll say,” and then “Ow! _Ingrid_ —”

Dimitri scrambles to his feet. “Shall we try again, Professor? This time I’ll endeavor to keep my balance a little longer so you can demonstrate properly.” He gives them his most winning smile, the one he uses to reassure Rodrigue, and after a moment’s hesitation Byleth nods.

It gets…easier. It does. That does not make it less of a mistake.

* * *

Dimitri gets a paper on how to best use mounted archers back with _Very insightful._ written on it in the dark blue ink Byleth favors and he can’t quite manage to restrain himself from sweeping his thumb over the words. The praise is as reserved as Byleth themself is, but that just means Dimitri can almost hear their voice as he reads. Warmth unfurls between his ribs.

“Pathetic,” Felix whispers, voice tight with familiar rage.

It is. Of course, Dimitri knows it is. Professor Byleth is his instructor, and besides that they are a respected employee of the church, chosen _personally_ by Archbishop Rhea. They are brilliant, talented, kind, full of incredible promise. Dimitri is none of those.

“Following our professor around like you’re pretending to be something as loyal as a dog, when—”

“ _Felix_ ,” Ingrid snaps.

At the front of the classroom, Byleth says, “Quiet, please, both of you.”

Ingrid chokes on an indignant sputter.

Dimitri drops his eyes to his paper again. _Very insightful._ , Byleth had written. He pretends the period means there’s no room for doubt, that they will not change their opinion of him for the worse.

* * *

Three days later, after an hours-long exercise with counters on a map, Byleth puts a hand on his shoulder as they lean in to see the final configuration and says, “Well done,” and Dimitri forgets how to _talk_. He manages only a faint croaking noise as fire blooms under his skin.

“Oh, Professor!” Mercedes says brightly, from directly across the map table. “Can you show me that approach over on the east side of the field again, please?”

Byleth takes their hand away from Dimitri and circles around to Mercedes’s side. Dimitri swallows and says, “I’m glad we reached a satisfactory answer, Professor.”

Mercedes twinkles at him.

Dimitri considers asking Claude or Edelgard if he might be allowed to change his name and transfer into one of their Houses. It would be better for everyone, and not just a relief for him. But no, he cannot run from his obligations, and those are more important.

* * *

“Your Highness,” Ingrid says when she finds Dimitri stretching his legs near the fishpond.

He looks at her.

“Never mind,” she says, and goes on her way.

It isn’t—he had grown cramped, researching in the library. It had been necessary to move to keep his muscles limber. Byleth isn’t even fishing, right now; they’re with Professors Manuela and Hanneman, discussing lesson plans or something of that nature. Dimitri isn’t _following_ them.

He did meet them at the fishpond once. Their face was relaxed instead of blank, their eyes luminous. They’d seemed…happy.

Dimitri wouldn’t intrude on that. He truly wouldn’t. He just likes to think of them happy, while he buries himself in old records and ugly secrets.

“Ingrid!” he calls after her.

Ingrid stops and turns.

“I don’t… Please don’t…”

“It’s all right,” she says gently. “Enjoy your walk.”

It is not all right. It’s an indulgence Dimitri hadn’t considered the depth of until he was caught at it, and now that he has been—

Enough.

* * *

Five years later, Byleth’s ghost finds Dimitri. They will demand he kill _that woman_ , and maybe for them he’ll at last be able to find her and obey.

He hates that he’s dragged them into this after all.

Their hand, outstretched, is clean. No blood, no bone, no burns, no broken nails. The cloak falls back from their arm, which is just as whole and firm.

Dimitri stares.

They make no demand of him. They just stand there, luminous, reaching out to him with a hand that does not grasp or claw.

They are…alive?

Dimitri finds his feet, and his voice, and gets up to follow them, because what else has he ever been able to do?


End file.
